Street-sweeper.



No. 730,502.4 h PA'I.EI\'I'E1) JUNE 9, 1903'.

Z. WHITTEMORE.

STREET SWEEPER.

v APPLIUATIQN FILED .um 21'. 1902.

No mmm.. A 2 saura-SHEET 1.

ill HH UNITED STATES Patented J' une 9, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ZENAS WHITTEMORE, OF MORTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO HARRY J. MASON, J R., OF MORTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET-SWEEPER.

YSPECIEICLA'JJION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 30,502, dated June 9, 1903. Application filed January 27, 1902. Serial No. 91.306. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ZENAS WnIrTnMonn, of Horton, Delaware county,Pennsylvania,have invented an Improvement in Street-Sweepers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to street -sweepers, and it consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and are shown in the accompanying drawings.

- More particularly my invention relates to that class of sweepers in which a movable pan is employed to receive the sweepings from a rotating brush and empty them into a receptacle. In street-sweepers of this character it is desirable that the pan should be arranged close to the brush, so as to extend to some eX- tent under it, and a part of my improvements relates to the devices for moving the pan backward from under the brush and then elevating it to discharge the sweepings. Owing to the weight of the pan and its contents and the friction of the operating parts, considerable power is required to operate it, and-a part of my invention relates to devices for operating the pan from the running-gear of the vehicle.

anism whenever desired. lt also embraces any automatic clutch-releasing device for disconnecting the clutch when the pan reaches itsi highest position, and also a brake or retarding device to prevent too-rapid descent of the pan when the pan-operating devicesare disconnected from the running-gear.

My invention also relates to improvements in the manner of Vsupporting the rotary brush, whereby a longer brush may be employed, and it may be easily raised and lowered.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a street-sweeper embodying 'my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the receptacle shown in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on the line c w of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale. Fig. et is a detail view of one of the rack-frames and pinions for rocking the sweepings-pan. Fig. 5 is a detail view of part of the clutch mechanism for op- -the rear wheels. to and projects under the body of the brush,

This part of my invention em-4 braces the employment of a clutch device by whichthe running-gesti` may be connected or disconnected with the pan-operating mechsuitable guide-pulleys cl c4. Ktheshait o3 by the driver will wind up the on the line a: y of Fig. 6; and Fig. 6 is a plan fview of part of said clutch mechanism.

The sweeper consists of a wheeled frame b, carrying a sweepings-receptacle a, with a rotary brush o journaled in the rear, and a movable sweepings-pan m arranged immediately in front of the brush and adapted to be reciprocated back from the brush and elevated to -discharge the sweepings into the receptacle. jThe brush is driven by suitable power-transmitting connections, such as the gears d d2, chain d3, and sprocket-wheels d4 d4 Jtrom one of The pan is arranged close so as to receive the sweepings directly therefrom, and when operated is first moved bach, so as to clear the brush, and is then elevated -to discharge its contents.l A sweeper of this characteris described and claimed in my PatentNo. 693,47a, dated February 18, 1902, and

lI shall nowdescribe the improvements which constitute the present invention.

To enable the` brush cto be lifted when desired either to pass over obstructions or to raise it out of cont-act with the street-surface, it is journaled in levers c' c', which may have their fulcra on' the axle-shaft ofthe rear wheels and their front ends connected through chains or other flexible connections c2 with a vertical shaftl c3 adjacent to the drivers seat. The chains or flexible connections may pass about The rotation of chains on the shaft and elevate the brush.- I prefer to arrange the brush-levers c' c' on the ends of the axle-shaft outside of the rear lings into the receptacle, the slides ff are retracted in the guides f'. This withdraws the pan from under the brush and in position to ICO be elevated, and when the pinions n engage the racks o the further retraction of the slides f causes the pinions n to rock the shaft and elevate the pan m into the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. l and 5, when its contents will fall into the receptacle a. On the return of the slides ff their operations are reversed, and the pan m is restored to the former position, extending close to and under the brush.

In my Patent No. 693,474 referred to I have shown power-transmitting connections with. the rear axle-shaft for operating the pan and also, as an alternative, a hand-operated device. It is especiallyadvantageous to operate the pan by the runnin g-gear, as the power required to lift the pan with its contents through the medium of the slides f, racks 0, and pinions n is considerable, and it is also desirable that the pan should be operated only at such times as the collection of sweepings shall actually require. Therefore instead of a direct driving connection with the running-gear or devices operated by humanpower, as shown in my application referred to, I interpose a clutch device in the driving connection, so that the driving devices may be thrown into or out of operation whenever desired.

In the particular construction shown they rear axle g is provided with one or more drums g@ connected by chains or cables g2 with the slides f. The connection with the ,slidesfis preferably effected through a transverse rod h, carried by the slides and provided with arms 7L', connected with the chains g2. l/Vhen the chains are wound up on the drums g@ the slides f will be elevated in the guides f One member of the clutchj is fast to the hub of one of the rear Wheels, while the other member is keyed on the axle-shaft g,- The movable member is connected by the usual yoke with a short upright shaft j, which is connected by an arm ,i2 with the shifter-rod k, which extends forward to the drivers seat and may be operated in any convenient manner, as by a foot or hand lever 7c.

The slides f f and the cross-rod 7L constitute a reciprocating frame, which carries the rocking frame, consisting of the arms e c and rockshaft e', by which the pan is carried. The reciprocating frame is operated bythe shaft g, which is here shown as the rear axle of the vehicle.

As it is desirable that the pan should immediately return to lowered position after it has discharged its contents, I provide means for automatically disconnecting the clutch as soon as the pan has reached its extreme elevated position and has discharged its contents. For this purpose I employ7 a short lever p, pivoted to a bracket on the cart-frame and having one end pivotally, connected with shifter-rod 7c and the other end provided with a pin p', arranged to be struck by one of the arms e or some other part which moves with the pan when the pan reaches its highest position. Vhen the shifter-rod k is operated to connect the clutch, this pin p will be projected into position to be struck by the pan- .arm e when the pan reaches its highest posia wheeled vehicle, of a rotarybr'ush, a pan arranged close thereto andadapted-to receive'V the sweepings therefrom, means torelevatev said pan to discharge its contents,` and powertransmitting connections between said means"- to elevate the pan and the running-gear embracing a clutch device for throwing-said power-transmitting connection into or out ofY action.

2. In a street-sweeper, the combination with a wheeled vehicle, of a rotary brush, a panarranged close thereto and adapted to receive the sweepings therefrom, means to elevate said pan to discharge its contents, powertransmitting connections between said means to elevate the pan and the running-gear em-Y bracing a clutch device for throwing` said- ICO power-transmitting connections into or out of Y action, and means for operating said clutch device extending to the first part of the vehicle.

3. In a street-sweeper,the combination-with a wheeled vehicle, of a rotary brush, a pan arranged close thereto and adapted to receive the sweepings therefrom, means to elevate said pan to discharge its contents, powertransmitting connections between said means to elevate the pan and the running-gear of the vehicle, a clutch device for throwing said power-transmitting connections into or out of operation, and means for automatically disconnecting said clutch when the pan is ele-il vated.

4. In a street-sweeper, the combinationw-ith a wheeled vehicle, of a rotary brush, a pan arranged close thereto and adapted to receive the sweepings therefrom, means to elevate said pan to discharge its contents, powertransmitting connections between said means to elevate the pan and the running-gear of the vehicle, a clutch device for throwing said power-transmitting connections into or out of operation, and means actuated by a part movsaid clutch when the pan is elevated.

5. In a street-sweeper, the combination with a wheeled vehicle, of a sweepings-pan, a rockin'g frame carrying said pan, means to reciprocate said frame, power-transmitting conlng with the pan to automatically disconnectv IIC nections between said means to reciprocate said frame and the running-gear of the vehicle embracing a clutch device for throwing said power-transmitting connections into ory out of action, and means to rock said frame upon its axis during a portion-of its reciprocation.

6. In a street-sweeper, the combination with a Wheeled vehicle, of a sWeepings-pan, a reciprocating frame carrying said pan, a rotary shaft carried by the vehicle, iiexible connectionsbetween said rotary shaft and the reciprocating frame adapted to be Wound upon said shaft When it is rotated and to move the reciprocating frame, and a clutch device for connecting said rotary shaft With the runnin@- gear of the vehicle.

7. In a street-sweeper,the combination with a wheeled vehicle, of a svveepingrs-pan, a reciprocating frame carrying said pan, a rotary shaft carried bythe vehicle, flexible connections between said rotary shaft and the reciprocating frame, adapted to be Wound upon said shaft when it is rotated and to move the reciprocating.,r frame, a clutch device for connecting said rotary shaft With the runninggear of the vehicle, means to rock said pan in its reciprocating frame during a portion of its movement, and automatic devices to release the clutch device when the pan has reached its highest position.

S. In a street-sweeper, the combination With a Wheeled vehicle provided With guides, slides movablein said guides, a rocking frame carried by said guides, a sWeepings-pan carried by said rocking frame, means to move said slides in their guides, poWer-transmitting` connections between said means to move the slides and the running-gear of the vehicle,

embracing a clutch for connecting and disconnecting said power-transmitting connections` with the running-gear, and means to rock said rocking,` frame during a part of the movement of said slides.

9. In a street-sweeper, the combination with a Wheeled vehicle provided With guides, slides movable in said guides, a rocking frame carried by said guides, a sWeepings-pan carried by said rocking,` frame, a rotary shaft, connections between said rotary shaft and the slides, a clutch for connecting or disconnecting1 said rotary shaft With the running-gear of the vehicle, and means to rock said rocking frame during a part of the movement of said slides.

l0. In a street-sweeper, the combination with awheeled vehicle providedwith guides, slides movable in said guides, a rocking frame carried by said guides, a sWeepings-pan carried by said rocking,` frame, a rod connecting said slides, a rotary shaft, iiexible connections between said rod and rotary shaft with the running-gear of the vehicle, and means to rock. said rocking frame during a part of the movement of said slides.

l1. In a street-sweeper, the combination With a Wheeled vehicle, of a sWeepings-pan, a

movable frame carrying said pan, a rotary shaft operated by the running-gear of the vehicle, iiexible connections between said shaft and the movable frame adapted to be'wound upon said shaft when it is rotated Vto operate the movable frame and move the sweepingspan. f p

l2. In a street-sweeper, the combination With a Wheeled vehicle, of a sWeepings-pan, a movable frame carrying said pan, a rotary shaft operated by the running-gear of the vehicle, iieXible connections between said shaft and the movable frame adapted to be Wound' uponusaid shaft when it is rotated to operate the movable frame and move the sweepingspan, and a friction-retarding device acting on said shaft.

13. In a streetsweeper, the combination With a Wheeled vehicle, of a reciprocating and rocking sWeepings-pan, power devices operated bythe running-gear to move said sweepings-pan, a clutch to connect ordisconnect said power devices With the running-gear, and a clutch-releasing device controlled by the pan, to automatically release and clutch whenV the pan has reached its highest position.

' In testimony of which invention I have here unto set my hand.

ZENAS VVHITTEMORE.

l TWitnesses: J. F. BnA'r'rY,

L. D. COOKE. 

